The proposals for cities such as Chandigarh, Bhopal, Ludhiana and Kozikode are being evaluated. Mumbai Metro (Representational image)
With the Kochi Metro becoming operational on Saturday, cities across India are speeding up preparations to inaugurate their first metro network. At the inauguration of the metro project in Kollam, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said 50 cities in India are ready to implement metro railway projects.
Here is a status check of some the important under construction metro projects across India.
Lucknow Metro
After receiving Cabinet approval on December 22, 2015, the Uttar Pradesh government began construction on the first phase of the Lucknow Metro Rail Project with an estimated cost of Rs. 6,928 crore. It is expected to be operational by June 2017.
On May 6, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that the Lucknow Metro service would start only after mid-June. However, the date for the flagging off is not finalised yet. In its first phase, Lucknow Metro would operate along a 8.5 km stretch between Lucknow airport and Charbagh railway station. In the next 25 years, the project will expand to two corridors: North–South Corridor (CCS Airport to Munshi Pulia) will cover 22.878 km and East–West Corridor (Lucknow Railway Station to Vasantkunj) 11.098 km.
Hyderabad Metro
With a proposed span of 66.5 km, Hyderabad Metro Rail project (Phase-1) will cost Rs. 14,132 crore. According to the latest report, the rail infrastructure of the route from Miyapur to SR Nagar (Line 1) is ready, but there is plenty of work left to be done on parking areas and other facilities. The entire phase I, which spans across 66.56 km and 57 stations, is due to be completed by December 2017.
Ahmedabad Metro
The Metro-link Express for Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad (MEGA) is likely to be opened in a phased manner from early 2020. The cost of the project is earmarked at Rs 10,773 crore.
Nagpur Metro
The Nagpur Metro, costing Rs. 8680 crore, will have a 38.215 km metro corridor, with 36 stations and two depots. Construction of the Nagpur Metro Rail Project began in May 2015, and trial runs are expected to conducted soon. Partial operations on line 1 are expected to commence by the end of 2018.
Noida Metro
The Noida-Greater Noida Metro is estimated to cost Rs 5,064 crore and cover 29.7 km. It is likely to go undergo trials in December this year, and the link will be operational by April 2018. The service is expected to transport at least 1.2 lakh commuters daily.
Navi Mumbai Metro
Line 1 of the Navi Mumbai Metro, costing Rs 4,163 crore, will become operational by May 2018. It will cover 23.40 km and 20 metro stations from Belapur to Khandeshwar.
Kanpur Metro
The Kanpur Metro is estimated to cost 13,721 Cr and cover 33 km. It is likely to be completed around 2020. The Kanpur Metro rail has two proposed routes: one is IIT Kanpur to Naubasta and other is Chandra Shekher Azad Agriculture University to Barra-8.
While Tier-II cities like Lucknow, Kanpur, Ahmedabad and Nagpur are setting up their dedicated metro networks, the proposals for cities such as Chandigarh, Bhopal, Ludhiana and Kozikode are being evaluated.